assume I was the one with serious issues.
Swinging open the door, I kept my scowl firmly in place. Blake stumbled back from the sudden movement and set his hand on the doorframe to steady him. Before he could say anything, I demanded, “What the hell are you doing here? I’m not your sponsor.”
“I have to talk to you. I need to tell you something and there’s no way I’ll spit it out if I’m sober.”
He was worse off than I anticipated. His eyes were glazed and I was afraid he would face-plant if he let go of the doorframe. “How much did you drink tonight?”
Holding up his thumb and his forefinger for emphasis, he said, “Just a bit. Don made his own moonshine and I may have gotten a little carried away.”
“What do you want?”
“Can I come in? I don’t want to have this conversation in the middle of the hallway.”
“No,” I said firmly and held my hands out in front of me when he lifted a foot to take a step forward. “It’s not a good night. Find whoever dropped you off and get a ride home. Call me when you’re not about to puke on my floor.”
“Autumn…” he sighed. As he trailed off, his eyes sharpened and he stared at me until I grew self-conscious and shifted side to side. “Were you crying?”
I turned my head away from him. “Yes, and my tolerance for your bullshit is at an all-time low tonight. I don’t know how you got the idea you have an open invitation to come to my dorm room whenever you like. It’s rude to me and would be annoying as hell to my roommate if she was here.”
“Do you want to talk about why you were crying?”
“No.”
“Do you really want me to leave?”
I opened my mouth to send him away, but the words became stuck. Inexplicably, I didn’t want him to leave. Being alone would force me back under the covers to wallow about Mr. Bridges. But what could Blake offer me? I wanted to use Blake to forget, but that would be a dangerous game to play. How far would I be willing to go to wipe Mr. Bridges completely from my brain?
An errant hiccup escaped against my will and before I knew it, my tears had returned. I hadn’t wanted to cry in front of Blake. But I was so tired of being alone. I never wanted this life. I never wanted to be on guard all of the time and overly cautious about who I chose to let in. Maybe Blake wasn’t perfect, but he was there .
“Come in,” I managed and stepped aside. I closed the door once he passed me. Instead of turning, I pressed my forehead against the door and tried to rein in the tears. I had been doing so well for weeks, not feeling the suffocation of my despair. I was certain Mr. Bridges would revel in my state, triumphant I’d given him so much control over my life.
Blake’s arms slipped around my waist and I stumbled backwards. Crashing into his hard chest, I straightened up. I wiped at my tears and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really…”
“Come here,” he said into my ear. The lights were still off and he gently pulled on my waist to lead me away from the door and closer to the bed.
“Where?”
“To bed.” I stiffened and he added, “I’m not going to try anything, I promise.”
Could I believe Blake’s promises? Although I had categorized him as cut from the same cloth as Hunter, it wasn’t true. Blake wasn’t perfect, but he also wasn’t another monster I had to be scared of. If he told me he wouldn’t try anything, I trusted him to stand by his words.
He climbed into my bed, a shadowy figure illuminated only by the building’s exterior lighting shining through the curtains. He pulled me down with him while he pressed his back against the wall to make room on the small bed. The mattress was an extra-long twin and Blake’s size made it impossible for us not to be pressed against one another. He removed his shoes and the only sound in the room was the plop as they fell against the linoleum floor.
His right hand stayed on my waist and I leaned my head against his chest. His
Swinging open the door, I kept my scowl firmly in place. Blake stumbled back from the sudden movement and set his hand on the doorframe to steady him. Before he could say anything, I demanded, “What the hell are you doing here? I’m not your sponsor.”
“I have to talk to you. I need to tell you something and there’s no way I’ll spit it out if I’m sober.”
He was worse off than I anticipated. His eyes were glazed and I was afraid he would face-plant if he let go of the doorframe. “How much did you drink tonight?”
Holding up his thumb and his forefinger for emphasis, he said, “Just a bit. Don made his own moonshine and I may have gotten a little carried away.”
“What do you want?”
“Can I come in? I don’t want to have this conversation in the middle of the hallway.”
“No,” I said firmly and held my hands out in front of me when he lifted a foot to take a step forward. “It’s not a good night. Find whoever dropped you off and get a ride home. Call me when you’re not about to puke on my floor.”
“Autumn…” he sighed. As he trailed off, his eyes sharpened and he stared at me until I grew self-conscious and shifted side to side. “Were you crying?”
I turned my head away from him. “Yes, and my tolerance for your bullshit is at an all-time low tonight. I don’t know how you got the idea you have an open invitation to come to my dorm room whenever you like. It’s rude to me and would be annoying as hell to my roommate if she was here.”
“Do you want to talk about why you were crying?”
“No.”
“Do you really want me to leave?”
I opened my mouth to send him away, but the words became stuck. Inexplicably, I didn’t want him to leave. Being alone would force me back under the covers to wallow about Mr. Bridges. But what could Blake offer me? I wanted to use Blake to forget, but that would be a dangerous game to play. How far would I be willing to go to wipe Mr. Bridges completely from my brain?
An errant hiccup escaped against my will and before I knew it, my tears had returned. I hadn’t wanted to cry in front of Blake. But I was so tired of being alone. I never wanted this life. I never wanted to be on guard all of the time and overly cautious about who I chose to let in. Maybe Blake wasn’t perfect, but he was there .
“Come in,” I managed and stepped aside. I closed the door once he passed me. Instead of turning, I pressed my forehead against the door and tried to rein in the tears. I had been doing so well for weeks, not feeling the suffocation of my despair. I was certain Mr. Bridges would revel in my state, triumphant I’d given him so much control over my life.
Blake’s arms slipped around my waist and I stumbled backwards. Crashing into his hard chest, I straightened up. I wiped at my tears and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really…”
“Come here,” he said into my ear. The lights were still off and he gently pulled on my waist to lead me away from the door and closer to the bed.
“Where?”
“To bed.” I stiffened and he added, “I’m not going to try anything, I promise.”
Could I believe Blake’s promises? Although I had categorized him as cut from the same cloth as Hunter, it wasn’t true. Blake wasn’t perfect, but he also wasn’t another monster I had to be scared of. If he told me he wouldn’t try anything, I trusted him to stand by his words.
He climbed into my bed, a shadowy figure illuminated only by the building’s exterior lighting shining through the curtains. He pulled me down with him while he pressed his back against the wall to make room on the small bed. The mattress was an extra-long twin and Blake’s size made it impossible for us not to be pressed against one another. He removed his shoes and the only sound in the room was the plop as they fell against the linoleum floor.
His right hand stayed on my waist and I leaned my head against his chest. His
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